Network service providers (e.g., wireless carriers, Internet service providers, etc.) often charge users to access network content by way of the providers' networks based on the amount of data that the users utilize while accessing the network content. For example, a network service provider may impose a maximum data usage amount per billing period (i.e., a data usage quota) with excess data usage being billed separately, charge a predetermined amount per unit of data usage (e.g., when a wireless device user is roaming on another wireless network), or allow a user to pre-pay for a predetermined amount of data usage.
Unfortunately, none of these billing arrangements differentiate between the types of network content accessed by a user. In other words, a user is charged in the same manner regardless of the particular website, network-based application (e.g., mobile device application or “app”), network-based service, advertisement, or other type of network content that the user accesses. As a result, many users may refrain from accessing various types of network content (e.g., certain mobile device apps, video content, advertisement content, and other potentially high-bandwidth network content) because they do not want access to such content to count against their predetermined data usage limits and/or because they do not want to pay for the data used in accessing such network content.